The Gospel According to St Luke

Chapter 12

Jesus teaches, Beware of hypocrisy; lay up treasures in heaven rather than on earth; prepare for the coming of the Lord; where much is given, much is required; preaching the gospel causes division.

1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the aleaven of the Pharisees, which is bhypocrisy.

2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither ahid, that shall not be known.

3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in adarkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have bspoken in the ear in cclosets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

4 And I say unto you my afriends, Be not bafraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall afear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into bhell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is aforgotten before God?

7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall aconfess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the bangels of God:

9 aBut he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

10 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that ablasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.

11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and apowers, btake ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall csay:

12 For the aHoly Ghost shall bteach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

13 ¶And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of acovetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to abestow my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, aSoul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, beat, drink, and be merry.

36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

37 aBlessedare those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find bwatching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

39 And this know, that if the agoodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have bsuffered his house to be broken through.

40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man acometh at an bhour when ye think not.

42 And the Lord said, Who then is that afaithful and wise bsteward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so adoing.

44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him aruler over ball that he hath.

45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and amaidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his aportion with the unbelievers.

47 And that aservant, which knew his lord’s bwill, and cprepared nothimself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

48 But he that aknew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be bbeaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever cmuch is dgiven, of him shall be much erequired: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

49 ¶I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

50 But I have a abaptism to be baptized with; and how am I bstraitened till it be accomplished!

51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son aagainst the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

54 ¶And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.

55 And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

57 Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

58 ¶When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.